Indian government asked to release 156 Pakistani fishermen

Workers rights groups on Saturday asked the BJP-led 'fascist' government to release some 156 Pakistani fishermen including children languishing in its jails, saying that the 'silent war' had widely victimized the poor seafarers of the both nations. The demand came on the eve of Indian fishermen's release from Pakistani prisons today. The government as a goodwill gesture is releasing a total of 439 Indian fishermen in two batches. The second group of the imprisoned fishermen will leave for India on January 5, 2017.
"India-Pakistan rivalry always victimized fishermen of the both countries," Secretary of National Labour Council, Karamat Ali told reporters during a joint press conference with Chairman of Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum (PFF) Muhammad Ali Shah, Convener of Sindh Labour Solidarity Council Habibuddin Junaidi and Jaffar Khan from Muttahida Labour Federation, held at Karachi Press Club.
"The arrests of fishermen of the both countries are against the ILO and UN conventions," Karamat Ali said, adding that the Pakistani-Indian fishermen were faced with the worst-victimizations by the both governments in the entire South Asia. He said that there should be a protocol amongst all the South Asian nations for the protection of fishermen in the uncertain region.
Showing fears, he said that both countries charged the other nation's fishermen with crossing 'illegally' the maritime borders before putting them behind indefinite bars. "Despite there is no prominent maritime border between both countries, fishermen are arrested on a mere presumed violation of the unmarked borders," the workers advocate said.
He said that the Indian authorities were holding up the fishermen for more than six months without filing cases against them. "Indian authorities also deny councillors' access to the imprisoned fishermen," Karamat said, adding that the trauma continued to haunt the arrested fishermen in Indian detention. He said that the maximum imprisonment was six months, but still there over hundred of Pakistani fishermen had been jailed for years without being formally charged. "All the detained or imprisoned fishermen should be given councillor access," he demanded and termed the denial by Indian government to the councillors' access as 'inhuman'.
The Pilar head urged the Pakistani government to avoid following the Indian inhuman policies and should not arrest the fishermen mistakenly crossed the country's sea borders from the neighbouring nation. He also asked the Indian government to follow the Pakistan's policy on releasing its fishermen. "The government should register all the fishermen imprisoned by India with the social security department to help their families maintain in their absence," he said.
Karamat Ali said that "even recently [December 20], Indian government has arrested 26 Pakistani fishermen along with five fishing boats. Similarly, Pakistan's Maritime Security Agency (PSA) arrested 43 Indian fishermen on November 20, 2016". He said that the both governments should also release the fishing boats with the arrested fishermen.
PFF Chairman Muhammad Ali Shah said that the maritime border between both countries was unclear, which badly affected fishermen either side. After the arrest By Indian, he said that the fishermen families suffered the worst economic troubles. "Poor fishermen face economic hardship in case they are arrested and kept in jails for years," he said.